On what turned out to be the most outright gorgeous day of the entire festival (thanks largely to a generous lake breeze), another day of wall-to-wall sunshine (this time without the evening t-storms) greeted the masses who once again descended upon Douglas Park for another day of Riotfestivities. And although the day started out on a disappointing note with the news of yet another last-minute cancellation (Fucked Up apparently got stuck at the Canadian border, and were unable to make it), fortunately, there were plenty of other quality acts on the bill Saturday to help make it up for it.
Here’s a recap of Saturday’s action:
The Bronx – One of LA’s finest punk bands since the turn of the century helped get things off to a fittingly rowdy start, hitting the Radical’s stage at 1:00 to a solid crowd who were more than ready to mix things up under the searing midday sun (thank God for that aforementioned lake breeze). The band’s 2nd song in their set “Sore Throat” hit particularly hard, and maybe also with a tad bit of irony considering the (hopefully small) number of infections (breakthrough or otherwise) that will inevitably occur from scores of (mostly) maskless patrons moshing/shouting alongside each other by the thousands (worth noting Riot Fest required proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test in order to gain entry, so we had that going for us). But neurotic COVID concerns aside, The Bronx definitely tore it up live, which no doubt helped everyone witnessing their set shake off any lingering cobwebs from Friday’s festivities. A hard-hitting performance, and a lot of fun to boot.
Best Coast – A couple of hours later, a band on the total opposite end of the spectrum hit the Riot Stage (one of the two large/main stages at the festival) to a massive crowd eager to enjoy the (relatively) chill sounds of LA’s Best Coast. Lead singer/guitarist Bethany Cosentino was in fine form despite her admission of being more than a little nervous playing to a sea of fans for the first time in well over a year. You would not have known it from her performance, as both her and the band at large cranked out their distinct brand of SoCal indie-rock which washed over the crowd like the refreshingly pleasant lake breeze that accompanied it. You’d be forgiven for thinking you were actually in LA with a nice ocean breeze in the background, so the tranquility of it all was fitting for Best Coast’s performance.
Gogol Bordello – Shortly after Best Coast wrapped up their set, a band with decidedly different energy hit the equally large Roots stage, which is situated directly across a large field from the Riot Stage. For that not privy, Gogol Bordello are a band that often defies simple categorization, and any attempt to aptly describe their live performance will almost certainly fail to do it justice, but here goes: seeing Gogol Bordello live is like witnessing a ridiculously batshit/beautiful multicultural Gypsy jam-band creating an absurdly infectious Yiddish/polka/punk-rock-infused dance party. See, doesn’t quite make sense does it? I wll try again: it’s like the soundtrack to the wildest European vacation of your dreams, you know, the one where you meet a band of Gypsies who take you out for legendary/life-affirming night of vodka shots, music, shenanigans, and the sheer thrill of partying with an eclectic group of goofballs from all over the world in beautiful/joyous harmony. It feels/looks/sounds something like that. You don’t really understand what’s going on, but you just know it’s a beautiful/jubilant thing, and you’re having the time of your life. Still doesn’t make sense? Do yourself a favor and check out Gogol Bordello live. They’re pretty fucking awesome.
Rancid – While experiencing Gogol Bordello was no doubt the highlight of the day for yours truly, stopping by Rancid’s set proved to be a more than worthwhile endeavor in its on right. As someone who admittedly only dropped by with the primary goal of enjoying “Time Bomb”, Rancid’s overall performance proved to be pretty impressive. Their fans absolutely went off during their set, so much so that a modest fan like myself had to subtly backpedal my way out of the unhinged moshpit that developed in my immediate vicinity. Props to Rancid, who clearly still know how to deliver the punk-rock goods to their enthusiastic fanbase.
Run the Jewels/Dropkick Murphys – Proving that it is in fact possible to “have your cake and eat it too”, yours truly somehow managed to check out sets from these two (very different) acts that closed out their respective stages Saturday night. Run the Jewels sounded exactly like they do on record, delivering their fiery brand of hip-hop with earth-shattering bass to an absolutely massive crowd at the Riot Stage.
And around the corner, back at the Radicals stage (where Rancid performed), Dropkick Murphy’s delivered their own fiery brand of pub-rock that never fails to send drunken gingers from around the world into an absolute tizzy. Outside of a particular week in March, it’s never really been this reviewer’s cup of tea personally, but the power and enthusiasm of Dropkick Murphy’s live performance were undeniable. A rousing way to close another fantastic day of live music at Riot Fest.
Other Saturday Tidbits:
Best overheard phrase: “Yeah, well, Tom Petty may or may not be Jesus”
There were more bees at Douglas Park than masks…
Number of people that liked my Faith No More t-shirt (who were originally scheduled to perform Saturday): 1…just 1…
Did I mention there was a lake breeze?
